Free Web NovelThe clouds in the sky hung low, like a lead plate that could fall to the ground at any moment.
Qingji sat askew on the edge of the rooftop of a dilapidated high-rise, which stood at an incredible height, gazing at the sky, lost in thought. After a long while, he withdrew his gaze and sighed softly without a sound.
He knew very well that as a remnant wisp of psionic fluctuation, he had existed for too long and might unknowingly turn into a Strange Tale, so he had to complete his mission as soon as possible.
He was not afraid of death, but he was attached to this world, so his emotions were inevitably conflicted.
To be or not to be, just as Qingji was seriously pondering this question, a familiar voice came from behind him.
“Ancestor, Ancestor, I’m here!”
Hearing Lu Yibei’s voice, Qingji jolted, turning his head sharply. Seeing Lu Yibei waving at him, he couldn't help but ask in surprise, “At this hour, why are you here?”
Counting the time, it should have just passed Yishi (5-7 PM) and a quarter. This girl came so early today, she probably wants to train me to death? Qingji thought to himself.
“This...” Lu Yibei said somewhat awkwardly, “There are some things I want to ask you about.”
I can’t just tell Ancestor directly that I took some random medicine, got high, and passed out, can I? Even if I have to say it, I need to be a bit more indirect. Lu Yibei thought to herself.
————
Earlier, Lu Yibei stayed at home, guarding the potion she had refined at a great cost, feeling uneasy. In the end, she couldn't resist tempting fate once.
She had finally refined the potion; if she didn't drink it, what was the difference between that and guarding a mountain of gold and silver with nowhere to spend it, or holding a beautiful girl but only staring?
So, following the dosage instructions on the potion recipe, she rummaged through all the ceramic bowls she could use at home, did the “shake” more than twenty times, and obtained more than twenty bowls of potions with varying dosages.
For those more than twenty bowls of potions, she then used the fuxing copper coin to perform divinations for each, asking questions like “Will I die if I drink it?”, “Will it cause permanent disability if I drink it?”, and “Will the efficacy be insufficient if I drink it?”
Finally, from the more than twenty bowls of shaken potions, she filtered out five bowls that seemed most reliable in terms of efficacy, danger, and disability rate.
To be safe, from the five bowls, she chose the one with the smallest dosage, and then, according to the maximum number of servings written in the instructions, divided that bowl into nine portions. She picked the most inconspicuous-looking one and drank it all at once.
At this point, the fuxing copper coin’s divination was no longer useful. The composition, quality, and mass of each small portion of the potion were identical. The reason for continuing to choose was mainly for psychological comfort.
As for why she chose the most inconspicuous one... freewebnovёl.ƈom
Lu Yibei felt that her bad luck was a permanent debuff. If she chose the most pleasing one, something would definitely go wrong. If she chose the most displeasing one, it might inherently have a problem.
She admitted that her method involved an element of gambling and wasn't very rigorous, but compared to the God-damned “shake” dosage on the instructions, it was already quite reliable.
And so.
The already cooled potion, as soon as it entered her mouth and was swallowed, instantly transformed as if into molten iron, flowing down her throat, with countless high-temperature bubbles constantly erupting.
The four descriptions from within her body continuously echoed in her ears: two pointing to Nvba, one to the witch, and one to Ifrit. The three powers symbolized by these four descriptions constantly collided within her, vying for the potion's power.
The high-intensity power collision turned into blooming “fireworks,” exploding within her body. Her bones trembled violently as if being forged, and her flesh and even every pore emitted painful wails.
This process lasted for about ten seconds before the three powers gradually determined a victor.
As the saying goes, when the eldest and second fight, the third dies first.
The first to subside was the power of the Ifrit Spirit Mark. Then, the powers of Nvba and the witch entangled for a long time, finally ending with the witch's defeat and Nvba, who had the highest compatibility with the defect-mending potion, emerging victorious.
Of course, the compatibility of the Ifrit Spirit Mark was actually very high, but it simply couldn't contend.
Thus, that familiar description grew stronger and clearer in her mind.
“There is Zhong Mountain, there is a woman in green clothes... There is Zhong Mountain, there is a woman in green clothes... There is Zhong Mountain...”
At that moment, Lu Yibei felt a fervent flame ignited deep within her body, erupting from the inside out, engulfing her. Her body involuntarily convulsed violently, and she let out an uncontrollable, low roar.
The roar gradually changed from a deep rumble to a delicate sound, finally becoming childlike. Before one wave subsided, another rose—a man’s moan and a girl’s soft panting—making the fat man upstairs blush, filled with envy, and almost call the police.
Public indecency, what a disgrace! He had long found the couple downstairs annoying, but it would be foolish not to take advantage of a good thing. Before calling the police, he decided to pause for a while.
And then...
There was no then. Her vision went black, and she passed out. The fat man, who was still enjoying eavesdropping, lost his evidence and couldn't call the police.
When she opened her eyes again, she was already in the dream.
After appearing on the rooftop in the dream, she nervously found a metal plate that barely reflected light, confirmed that her appearance hadn't changed abnormally due to taking the potion, and that she wouldn't be purged from the family, then she relaxed and came to find Qingji.
————
After listening to Lu Yibei’s simple account of what happened, Qingji rested his chin on his hand and pondered for a few seconds, saying, “So, you took the elixir, or, as you call it, the mending potion, which is why you came here early?”
“Mhm, mhm.” Lu Yibei nodded in response.
“You want to ask me if passing out after taking the elixir will leave any sequelae, is that right?” Qingji continued to ask.
“Close, close enough...” Lu Yibei hesitated, wanting to say more.
Mainly, she wanted to ask if the physical changes caused by the mending potion were irreversible. Lu Yibei thought to herself.
She clearly remembered that before she passed out, her body had already begun to turn into a Strange Tale, which was a very serious problem.
Before this, apart from when she came into contact with Professor Ma’s bamboo slips and drew Spirit Marks, she had been threatened by strong external psionic fluctuations. Out of instinct for self-preservation, she had transformed into a ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) Strange Tale once during the day.
If she couldn't change back due to the potion's influence, who could possibly endure that!?
Even more terrifying, she had no idea to what extent she had transformed into a Strange Tale. If she had only partially transformed and then couldn't change back at all...
One device, two systems, how could that work? Just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine!
“Hmm...” Qingji pondered for a moment, then said seriously, “Currently, it seems there shouldn't be any problems. Aren't you still alive? Being alive proves there’s no problem.”
Lu Yibei, “...”
No problem as long as I’m alive? Ancestor, your standards are a bit too low...
A person alive shouldn't just care about the present struggle, but also pursue the struggle of tomorrow, the struggle of the day after, and the struggle of the distant future!
Muttering to herself, Lu Yibei pressed Qingji, “Then, Ancestor, didn’t you say you used to take many potions? Have you ever summarized a more reliable way to take them?”
After all, the Great Serpent God’s knowledge had significant flaws regarding potion consumption. From the moment of Its birth, It had a body countless times stronger than humans.
If one were to take potions according to Its experience, they might not even know how they died!
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Lu Yibei even suspected that the “shake” dosage, which was a very irregular and uncommon unit of measurement, was summarized by the Great Serpent God based on Its own consumption standards.
And Lu Yibei knew that Qingji had once swallowed all sorts of strange and peculiar potions. If she could gain some useful insights from his experiences, that would be excellent.
“Hmm... I really can’t answer that question.” Qingji said with a serious expression, “I always take them all at once.”
“Ah?”
All at once?
You didn’t get scrapped or explode?
Lu Yibei was stunned. Just as she was about to say something, Qingji waved his hand.
“I know, you want to say that taking elixirs haphazardly without considering the dosage is very dangerous,” Qingji explained.
“But back then, I didn't think so much, and no one told me what to do. Back then, I was small but had a big appetite. My masters gave me as much as they did, and I ate it all, and I never had any problems.”
“...” Lu Yibei pondered for two seconds, then asked seriously, “Are you sure your masters weren’t just tired of you and wanted to purge you from the family, so they deliberately didn’t tell you?”
“That’s not it.” Qingji said with a smile, “After all, they never took those elixirs themselves, and even...”
“Even what?” Lu Yibei interrupted curiously.
Qingji rubbed his temples, his voice slightly softer, and said awkwardly, “Some of the elixirs were even made up by them after they read fragmented ancient texts and only grasped half the information.” freēwebnovel.com
“...” Lu Yibei was stunned for a long while before she recovered, patted Qingji’s shoulder, and comforted him, “It sounds like your childhood was quite difficult too.”
“Ah—!” Qingji sighed, “Who’s to say it wasn’t?”
Then, he changed the subject, “However, while I can’t help you with the dosage, I can offer some experiential advice on digesting elixirs. For example...”
“Wait a minute!” Lu Yibei’s gaze sharpened as if she had noticed something important, interrupting, “Does this ‘for example’ you’re talking about cost money?”
No, shouldn’t I first ask what method can accelerate digestion and absorption, and then ask this question? Lu Yibei thought to herself.
Qingji thought for a moment, then said solemnly, “It can be free, or it might cost a lot of money. It depends on the situation.”
It can be free, or it might cost a lot, which means I can get it for free? Sounds good! Lu Yibei thought to herself, then asked doubtfully, “Then under what circumstances would it be free?”
“When you run fast enough not to get caught,” Qingji said seriously.
Lu Yibei, “???”
Immediately after, while Lu Yibei was still stunned, Qingji proceeded to tell her in detail how, when the potion took effect and the power within him went berserk, he was initially taken by his masters to the female disciple changing room and the male disciple bathhouse of Da Chunyang Palace, where he happily received a severe beating.
And how, later, he was thrown by his masters into the mountain cave in the forbidden area behind Da Chunyang Palace, where the mountain-guarding divine beasts were kept, to vent his power and promote absorption.
“What was kept in that cave?” Lu Yibei asked curiously.
“Two Qilin cubs, or, as you would say nowadays, urban legend with partial Qilin authority.”
“That guy was incredibly powerful. I’ve traveled far and wide for so long, and I’ve rarely encountered such a formidable opponent. I was beaten half to death every time.”
Lu Yibei, “...”
Qilin authority?
Sounds very powerful.
Something like that probably can't be solved with one or two slides, right?
“At first, my masters would come to pick me up, but after a while, they just stopped coming and let me figure out how to run away myself, and then I...”
“Wait!” The more Lu Yibei listened, the more she felt something was off, and she couldn't help but interrupt, “Are you sure your masters weren’t really just annoyed that you ate too much and couldn’t afford to keep you, so they were trying to find a way to purge you from the family?”
“...”
Qingji was silent, pondering for a moment, then nodded, “Probably not. After all, that’s how I trained my son, Yu Bo. I did it out of paternal love, and my masters probably did too.”
Lu Yibei, “...”
It’s not easy for the Lu family to have passed down to my generation.
However, thinking about it, it makes sense. If they didn't truly dote on this disciple, why would they send him to the female disciples' changing room?
As for the male disciples' bathhouse... perhaps it was considered that the disciple might not like female disciples, so they developed his personal interests comprehensively?
Muttering to herself, she seemed to understand Qingji’s meaning and pressed on, “So you mean, after I take the potion each time, I should go to Da Chunyang Palace to cause trouble? And endure a round of beatings?”
This kind of thing should be like exercising after reasonably supplementing nutrition to achieve the best effect, right?
Meaning, as long as I digest and absorb fast enough, the volatile power won't have time to damage my body.
But I’m a Strange Tale! What if I can’t escape, can’t get away, wouldn’t I be beaten to death? Lu Yibei thought.
“No.” Qingji shook his head, “My meaning is that after you take the elixir, you should find a deserted place and freely release Spells to vent your power.”
“Find a deserted place to vent power...” Lu Yibei repeated Qingji’s words, then turned around and looked left and right. As far as her eyes could see, there were only empty, deserted city ruins.
It seemed, probably, perhaps...
Qingji noticed Lu Yibei slyly looking around, his eyes gradually becoming perverted. His heart tightened, and he quickly said, “You scoundrel, this place won’t do!”
Just practicing swordplay had already worn him out. If he also had to accompany her to digest the potion, wouldn't he be directly worn to death?
Moreover, this place, it's unclear whether it's reality or illusion. Venting power here might not even have any effect. Qingji thought.
Lu Yibei frowned, “If not here, then where should I go?”
“Didn’t I tell you? Find a deserted place.” Qingji pouted, “Actually, any place will do. The most important thing is to vent, and not get caught.”
Lu Yibei, “...”
This... isn’t what I’m worried about getting caught?
If a Spell harms people, the Night Watch will come knocking. If a Spell burns down a mountain, Lu Yibei is done for!
It seems I'll have to go back and carefully review the urban legend incident catalog to find a place where I can unleash my powers to my heart's content without easily being targeted.
